Collapsible rear mounted load carrier for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A load carrier for a rear end of a vehicle includes a load supporting member, a mounting member including a hub connecting arm and a vehicle contacting portion, and a releasable pivot locking member. The hub connecting arm and the vehicle contacting portion are pivotally coupled to one another and the releasable pivot locking member, in a locked state, prevents pivoting movement of the hub connecting arm and the vehicle contacting portion such that the hub connecting arm and the vehicle contacting portion are disposed at an angle with respect to one another. In an unlocked state, the releasable pivot locking member allows pivoting movement of the vehicle contacting portion with respect to the hub connecting arm such that the vehicle contacting portion may be pivoted toward the hub connecting arm, e.g., as may be desired to collapse the load carrier for storage.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to load carriers mountable tovehicles for transporting sports equipment, and more particularly, toload carriers mountable to rear ends of vehicles which can be readilycollapsed for convenient storage or transport when not in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many types of sports equipment are usable only under certain conditionsand/or in specific locales. Examples of such sports equipment includesurfboards that may be used at beaches and snow skis that are normallyused at ski resorts. The beach and ski areas are often remotely locatedfrom the homes of those who use them, therefore the need to transportsports equipment upon vehicles to these locations has long beenrecognized.

To facilitate the transportation of sports equipment, carriers mountableto passenger vehicles have been developed. There are various types ofload carriers, but the most prevalent types include roof mountedcarriers and rear end mounted carriers, which are generally convenientfor loading bicycles onto the carriers and preventing obstruction of adriver's view. Examples of such bicycle carriers and their componentstructures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,927 to Bogoslofski for aLOAD CARRIER FOR SPORTS EQUIPMENT, U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,323 to Chimentiet al for a BICYCLE CARRIER ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE BACK OF AVEHICLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,767 to Chimenti et al for a BICYCLE CARRIERADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE BACK OF A VEHICLE and U.S. Pat. No.5,363,996 to Raaber et al also entitled BICYCLE CARRIER ADAPTED TO BEMOUNTED ON THE BACK OF A VEHICLE, each of which is commonly ownedtogether with the present invention and whose disclosures are expresslyincorporated herein by reference.

The carriers described and disclosed in the above referenced patents aremountable to the rear end of a supporting passenger vehicle. Thecarriers incorporate mounting members that engage surfaces of a vehicleand clippable straps that, when tightened, secure the load carrier tothe vehicle. The carriers further include load supporting members thatextend away from the vehicle for receiving the equipment to betransported, e.g., bicycles.

A common feature of many of these known carriers is that the mountingmembers or the load supporting members comprise arcuate or bent memberssuch that the carriers may be securely mounted upon a vehicle. Somemounting and load supporting members have arced or bent members suchthat the load carrier may be more stably secured to differently shapedvehicles and vehicles that present different portions of the vehicle,such as the trunk, hatch, or bumper for carrier engagement. In a furtherexample, the load support members of some carriers have arced or bentportions that can be fitted about a spoiler located at the rear of thevehicle.

Despite the specific need addressed by load carriers comprising bent orarced members, these carriers can be difficult to transport or storewhen not in use because their arced or bent members cannot beefficiently collapsed and tend to take up significant amounts of spaceand is not very compact. This is a particularly important considerationwhere packaging of the load carrier is concerned; as packaging goes,every bit that the packaged product can be reduced results insignificant savings, particularly when multiplied across many productunits. In some cases the mounting members or load supporting members areseparated from one another before storage or transport in order toreduce the packaged size of the load carrier. This, however, isundesirable in that loose parts are more likely to be lost from the mainarticle than are connected or integral parts.

The inability to efficiently collapse and store known carrierscomprising arced or bent members presents difficulties to manufacturers,wholesalers and retailers because these types of carrier tend to take upsignificant amounts of space, which renders them more expensive to storeand transport, especially to and from overseas markets, and to display.For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a known load carrier 10 having a frameformed by upper and lower mounting members 12 and 14, respectively, anda pair of bicycle supporting arms 16, which project rearward from theframe. The upper and lower mounting members 12 and 14 are generallyU-shaped. In the embodiment illustrated, the upper mounting member 12has arms 18, which are secured to one another by means of bight 22 andthe lower mounting member 14 has arms 20, which are connected by bight24. Each of the arms 18 and 20 are illustrated as comprising bentportions 26 such that the mounting members may be secured to the rearend of transporting vehicle 28 and about a structure of the transportingvehicle such as a spoiler, a trunk lid, a bumper, etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, because the bent portions 26 allow the loadcarrier 10 to be secured to the rear end of a transporting vehicle andabout a structure such as a spoiler, a trunk lid, a bumper, etc., whenthe load carrier 10 is collapsed for storage or transport, by pivotingthe upper mounting member 12 and the lower mounting member 14 withrespect to one another, and preferably, toward one another, the bentportions cause bights 22 and 24 to contact one another, which preventsfurther collapse of the structure. As a result, because further collapseof the carrier is prevented by the bights, the carrier tends to take upsignificant amounts of storage and transport space when not in use.Alternatively, even if the mounting members each have a perimeter thatallows one of the mounting members to be received within another, thebent portions 26, nonetheless, continue to take up significant storageand transport space as the bights 22 and 24 remain oppositely disposedwith respect to one another.

Furthermore, the inability to efficiently collapse known carriers alsopresents difficulties to the end user, who is likely to store theircarrier in the trunk of their car and not want to take up significantspace. Even more problematic, however, is that an end user is not likelyto purchase or utilize a carrier that does not effectively collapse whennot in use, or purchase or use a carrier that must be assembled ordisassembled every time it is used or stored. Indeed, assembly anddisassembly can be difficult, time consuming, can result in improperassembly of the carrier and damage to a vehicle, or result in the lossof carrier components. Another problem is that while many assemblieshave pivoting mounting members that allow the carrier to be collapsedwhen they are not being used, many typically do not include means forensuring that the mounting members are fully pivotally extended when inuse, do not include locking means for locking the pivoting members in apivotally extended position, or include means for urging the pivotingmounting members to maintain a pivotally extended position. As a result,such types of assemblies typically can only be used with certain typesof transporting vehicle, are required to be precisely positioned upontransporting vehicles, can tend to be incorrectly installed upontransporting vehicles and can be unstable or prone to failure duringuse. An example of an assembly having one or more of the deficienciesnoted above is MODEL 144A BIKE RACK™, currently commercially availablefrom R.A. Allen Co., Inc. of Lincoln, Mass. Indeed, while the MODEL 144ABIKE RACK™ assembly comprises a pivoting lower mounting member, it doesnot comprise means for ensuring that the lower mounting member is fullypivotally extended when used, does not include means for locking thelower mounting member in a fully pivotally extended position, and doesnot include means for urging the lower mounting member to maintain alocked piston. As a matter of fact, the instructions for installing theMODEL 144A BIKE RACK™ specifically indicate that the lower mountingmember must be fully extended and precisely located upon a tophorizontal surface of a bumper. A problem, thus, is that a user may notfully extend the lower mounting member prior to installation, may notcorrectly install the carrier upon a transporting vehicle, or the lowermounting member may pivot during transport, e.g., as may occur whentraveling over a rough road, such that the carrier may shift duringtransport and fail.

In view of the above, there is a need to provide a rear mounted loadcarrier that is readily and efficiently collapsible to a relativelysmall size, which does not require that carrier components be assembledor disassembled prior to the carrier being used or stowed, and whichincludes means for preventing and/or minimizing the tendency of carriermembers to pivot during use.

In a related aspect, because designs of currently available rear mountload carriers generally disregard the packagable size of the collapsedcarrier, the box-packaging required for shipping these carriers istypically quite bulky, with much empty space in the box around thecontained carrier. In this day-in-time when products of the nature ofrear mount cargo carriers might be made across the street or half-wayaround the world, shipping and storage becomes a paramount concern.Therefore, solutions that minimize the size (and volume) of the packagedproduct which must be shipped, as well as stored for varying periods atthe manufacturing facility, at the retail outlet, and at variouslocations in between, are highly sought-after. The present solutionsdescribed and disclosed in the balance of this specification work tomeet these needs and desires for more compact packaging of the loadcarrier manufactures, distributors, retailers and consumers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an effort to alleviate the detrimental and deficient effectsdescribed above, a load carrier according to the present inventionincorporates a plurality of beneficial and advantageous aspects.

According to one aspect of the invention, a load carrier for a rear endof a vehicle comprises a load supporting member, a mounting memberincluding a pair of hub connecting arms and a vehicle contactingportion, and a releasable pivot locking member. The hub connecting armsand the vehicle contacting portion are pivotally coupled to one anotherand the releasable pivot locking member, in a locked state, preventspivoting movement of the hub connecting arms and the vehicle contactingportion such that the hub connecting arms and the vehicle contactingportion are disposed at an angle with respect to one another. In anunlocked state, the releasable pivot locking member allows pivotingmovement of the vehicle contacting portion with respect to the hubconnecting arms such that the vehicle contacting portion may be pivotedtoward the hub connecting arms.

In some aspects of the invention, the releasable pivot locking membersecures about the hub connecting arms and the vehicle contactingportion, and preferably, the releasable pivot locking member is slidablealong one of the hub connecting arms and the vehicle contacting portionand is received by the other of the hub connecting arms and the vehiclecontacting portion. In some particularly preferred aspects, thereleasable pivot locking member is slidable along the hub connectingarms and is received by the vehicle contacting portion.

In some aspects of the invention, the hub connecting arms are acomponent of a lower mounting member of the load carrier. In someaspects, the releasable pivot locking member includes a tension strapthat urges the releasable pivot locking member in a direction toward thelocked state when a securing tension is applied.

In some aspects, one of the hub connecting arms and the vehiclecontacting portion includes a bent portion, which forms an obtuse anglebetween the hub connecting arms and the vehicle contacting portion whenin the locked state. In some aspects, one of the hub connecting arms andthe vehicle contacting portion slidably receive the releasable pivotlocking member proximate the bent portion to maintain the locked state.In some aspects, the releasable pivot locking member includes a pair oforifices, one for sliding along a length of one of the hub connectingarms and the vehicle contacting portion and the other for receiving anend of a hub connecting arm, or alternatively, the vehicle contactingportion. In some aspects, sliding movement of the releasable pivotlocking member is arrested by a locking mechanism, such as a biased pinthat extends through an aperture. In some aspects, the vehiclecontacting portion receives the releasable pivot locking member.

In some aspects of the invention a load carrier for a rear end of avehicle comprises a pair of load supporting members, upper and lowermounting members pivotally connected by a hub assembly wherein one ofthe upper and lower mounting members comprises a pair of hub connectingarms and a vehicle contacting portion, and a pair of releasable pivotlocking members. The hub connecting arms and the vehicle contactingportion pivotally couple to one another by the pair of releasable pivotlocking members, the releasable pivot locking members in a locked state,prevent pivoting movement of the vehicle contacting portion with respectto the hub connecting arms and to dispose the vehicle contacting portionand hub connecting arms at an angle with respect to one another. In anunlocked state, the releasable pivot locking members allows pivotingmovement of the vehicle contacting portion with respect to the hubconnecting arms such that the vehicle contacting portion may be pivotedtoward the hub connecting arms.

In the several embodiments of the present invention that are disclosedherein, it is contemplated that the carrier may be associated with atransporting vehicle in a number of ways. The carrier may be directlyconnected to the rear of the vehicle. Alternatively, the carrier may becoupled to the vehicle with one or more components interposedtherebetween. In any event, when the present invention is describedherein as being mounted to, secured to, or otherwise associated with avehicle, it is to be understood that the association may be direct orindirect with intermediate components therebetween.

In another, but related aspect, the compact folded nature of the carrierof the present disclosure works to solve the drawbacks associated withthe large packaging that has traditionally been required when shippingfolding rear mount load carriers of the type disclosed herein.Basically, the appendages of the carrier are folded together in a nestedconfiguration with one another thereby minimizing the total volumefilled by the load and carrier support assemblies. Further, thefoldability of the hinged (pinned) carrier support member further worksto achieve the collapsed/shipping/storage configuration of the carrierin which the hub establishes the “depth” or “thickness” dimension (d) ofthe collapsed load carrier. In this manner compact nature of thecollapsed carrier can be fully exploited from the shipping and storagepoint of view.

In summary, inclusion of one or more of the above described features ina sports equipment carrier enhances the carrier's usefulness, itscompatibility with variably configured supporting vehicles, and its easeof manufacture, installation and use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the disclosed inventions will now be describedin greater detail and shown in the associated drawings in which likereference numerals have been used to indicate like and similarcomponents, arrangements of components, and functional features of thesame. The illustrative drawings disclose exemplary, and in some cases,alternative embodiments of the inventions in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a known load carrier in open andcollapsed configurations, respectively;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a load carrier according to theinvention secured to a vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a load carrier according to theinvention with tensioning straps shortened and vehicle deleted forclarity;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a load carrier according to the inventionwith tensioning straps and end tube end caps omitted for clarity;

FIG. 6 is a front plan view of a load carrier according to the inventionwith tensioning straps omitted for clarity;

FIG. 7 is a side plan view of a load carrier according to the inventionwith tensioning straps omitted for clarity;

FIGS. 8-9 are perspective views illustrating a method of collapsing aload carrier according to the invention, with tensioning straps omittedfor clarity;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views illustrating a load carrieraccording to the invention in a fully collapsed configuration, withtensioning straps omitted for clarity;

FIG. 12A is a perspective view of a collapsed load carrier in a shippingbox illustrating the minimization of excess space in the box besides theload carrier; and

FIG. 12B is a side elevational view of the boxed load carrier of FIG.12A demonstrating the unique and advantageous relative dimensionsbetween certain components of the carrier and the interior space of theshipping box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in variousand alternative forms. It should also be appreciated that the figuresare not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated orminimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specificstructural and functional details disclosed herein are not to beinterpreted as limiting, but are merely provided as a basis for theclaims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the artto variously employ the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-11, rear mounted load carrier 30 according tothe present invention broadly comprises upper and lower mounting members32, 34, respectively, which are generally adjustable and pivotallycoupled to one another by means of hub members 36. Rear mounted loadcarrier 30 also broadly comprises load supporting members 38, whichgenerally extend rearward from hub members 36 and are configured toreceive equipment to be transported thereon, e.g., bicycles and thelike. Load supporting members 38 can comprise one or more cradles 39 forsecuring a bicycle. Alternatively, the load supporting members 38 cantake the form of skid-resistant arms (tubular steel arms preferablycoated with an appropriate skid-resistant material) with upturned endportions that aid in keeping intended loads on the members 38 duringtransport.

In the embodiment illustrated, upper mounting member 32 broadlycomprises a pair of generally parallel arms 40, which are connected toone another by upper bight 42. Upper bight 42 of upper mounting member32 is provided with one or more cushion members 44 so as to preventdamage to a transporting vehicle when the load carrier is securedthereto. As illustrated more clearly in the exploded view of FIG. 5,upper mounting member 32 and load supporting members 38 can befabricated from a single shaft, are coplanar with one another, and forma general U-shaped structure; albeit, the terminal ends of loadsupporting members 38 can comprise angled ends 46 configured forreceiving and retaining equipment on the load supporting members. Itshould be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art thatwhile upper mounting member 32 and load supporting members 38 areillustrated as being fabricated from a single shaft, the upper mountingmember and load supporting members 38 can be fabricated from separateshafts and can be configured to be adjustable and pivotally coupled toone another via hub members 36 configured therefor. As illustrated moreclearly in FIG. 3, upper mounting member 32 is generally configured forcontacting a top rearward surface of a transporting vehicle, such as atop surface of a trunk lid, a top surface of a vehicle hatch, or a topsurface of a spare tire, etc. While upper mounting member 32 isillustrated as comprising a pair of linearly extending parallel arms 40,arms 40 may be configured to comprise bent portions, similar to those ofthe prior art device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, such that the uppermounting member may be secured to a transporting vehicle about a vehiclestructure such as a spoiler. In such configuration, upper mountingmembers 32 can be configured to comprise a structure that is similar tolower mounting member 34 of the present invention, as described infra,such that the load carrier may be more efficiently collapsed and storedand/or transported when not in use.

Referring again to FIGS. 3-11, lower mounting member 34 is adjustableand pivotally secured to upper mounting member by means of hub members36. Lower mounting member 34 broadly comprises first pair of generallylinearly extending parallel arms 48 that extend from, and are adjustablypivotally secured to hub member 36. As illustrated more clearly inexploded FIG. 5, arms 48, which may also be referred to as hubconnecting arms 48, have first terminal ends 50, which are adjustablypivotally received by hub members 36, and second terminal ends 52, whichare opposite first terminal ends 50. Hub connecting arms 48 arepivotally adjustable with respect to upper mounting member 32 and loadsupporting members 38. Second terminal ends 52 of the hub connectingarms pivotally couple with terminal ends 54 of lower bight 60, as bymeans of pivot assembly 56, which can comprise a pivot pin and pinhole.Lower bight 60, which may also be referred to as vehicle contactingportion 60, includes bent portions 58, which angularly dispose the lowerbight 60 towards a transporting vehicle when the load carrier is securedthereto. Lower bight 60 can include one or more cushion members 62 so asto prevent damage to a transporting vehicle. Bent portions 58 aregenerally provided for allowing the lower mounting member to be securedto the vehicle upon a rear surface thereof, such as a side wall of atrunk, a bumper, etc. While bent portions 58 are preferably formed inlower bight 60, the hub connecting arms 48 could be configured tocomprise the bent portions proximate their second terminal ends 52 toangularly dispose lower bight 60.

Lower mounting assembly 34 also includes a pair of releasable pivotlocking members 64 for arresting pivoting movement of vehicle contactingportion 60 (lower bight 60) with respect to the hub contacting arms 48,for example, when the load carrier is secured to a vehicle. Asillustrated more clearly in FIGS. 5-9, releasable pivot locking members64 are each configured for sliding movement along hub connecting arms 48and receive terminal ends 54 of vehicle contacting portion 60 therein.When the terminal ends 54 are fully engaged by the locking member 64,the ends 54 act as stops to that engaged locking member 64. Eachreleasable pivoting locking member 64 includes sleeve 65, which fitsabout the hub connecting arms and the terminal ends of vehiclecontacting portion 60 (lower bight), and includes apertures 66 and 68.Apertures 66 are provided to receive terminal ends 54 of vehiclecontacting portion 60 (lower bight) therein. Apertures 68 are providedto allow the sleeve to slide along hub connecting arms 48. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 releasable pivot locking member 64includes locking mechanism 70 for locking the releasable pivot lockingmembers in place about hub connecting arms 48 and the ends of vehiclecontacting portion 60 (lower bight) such that pivoting movementtherebetween may be arrested. Locking mechanism 70 can comprise a biasedpin member communicating with a bore, a biased ball bearing assembly, adetent, etc. It should be appreciated by those having ordinary skill inthe art that the present invention preferably comprises sleeve 65capable of sliding movement along the hub connecting arms, other meansfor pivotally locking the vehicle contacting portion with respect to thehub connecting arms are contemplated. For example, the releasable pivotlocking member could be configured to comprise a pin-type assembly or anassembly clamping about a portion of the vehicle contacting portion andthe hub connecting arms, etc.

As noted, supra, a pair of hub members 36 is provided for adjustablypivotally securing the upper mounting member and the load supportingmember with respect to the lower mounting member. Alternatively, each ofthe upper and lower mounting members and load supporting members mayadjustably pivot with respect to one another. In the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 3-4, hub members 36 pivotally secure an end ofupper tensioning straps 72 and an end of lateral tensioning straps 74thereto. Upper tensioning straps 72 are generally configured forsecuring the load carrier to an upper portion of a transporting vehicle,e.g., an upper edge of a trunk lid, and lateral tensioning straps 74 areconfigured for securing the load carrier to the opposite sides of atransporting vehicle, e.g., sides edges of a trunk lid, sides of avehicle, etc. Releasable pivot locking member 64 secures lowertensioning straps 76 such that the load carrier can be secured to alower portion of a transporting vehicle. A benefit of securing lowertensioning straps 76 to releasable pivot locking members 64 is that whentension is applied to the lower straps, the lower releasable pivotlocking members 64 is urged toward the locking position and maintainsthe locked position, thereby further preventing and/or minimizing anyaccidental unlocking thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, and 8-11, load carrier 30 according to thepresent invention is generally configured for effectively securingsporting equipment to a transporting vehicle when in use, and for beingefficiently collapsed when not in use such that the amount of spaceneeded to store or transport the carrier can be minimized. Generally,after the tensioning straps have been released and load carrier has beenremoved from a transporting vehicle, the carrier can be collapsed fromthe open position to the collapsed position by first loosening the hubmembers to allow the upper mounting member and load supporting member tobe pivoted in direction 78 until load supporting members 38 and arms 40are coplanar with respect to hub connecting arms 48. Thereafter, hubmembers 36 may be tightened. Locking mechanisms 70 may then be actuatedto unlock releasable pivot locking members 64 such that the releasablepivot locking members can be slid along the hub connecting arms indirection 80 to expose the terminal ends of the vehicle contactingportion. At the point where the terminal ends of the vehicle contactingportion are exposed, the vehicle contacting portion may then be pivotedin direction 82 about pivot assembly 56 until its lower bight 60 issubstantially coplanar with the upper mounting member and the loadsupporting members. The tensioning straps may then be wrapped about thelower bight 60, hub connecting arms 48 and load supporting members 38 tomaintain the substantially coplanar configuration of those assemblies.Opening, or locking, of the carrier can be accomplished by reversing theabove steps. As may be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in theart, locking and unlocking of a carrier according to the presentinvention does not necessarily require that the above steps be completedin the particular order set forth.

An alternative aspect of the present invention is demonstrated in FIGS.12A and 12B where the collapsed load carrier 30 of FIG. 10 is shown withthe cradles 39 removed and the carrier 30 is packed into a shipping box85. The box 85 is shown in phantom to help illustrate the relativedimensions and interaction between the carrier 30 and the interior spaceof the box 85 in order to minimize the size and volume of the finalpackaged product. A boxed load carrier 30, that when in use isconfigured to be carried on a vehicle in abutting engagement with abackside of the vehicle, is illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B.

The illustrated arrangement of FIGS. 12A and 12B comprises a shippingbox 85 configured to receive a load carrier 30 therein when the loadcarrier 30 is in a collapsed shipping configuration. The load carrier 30comprises a hub assembly that includes a pair of hubs or hub members 36.Each hub 36 is configured for rigid engagement with a plurality of loadbearing assemblies 38, 40, 48, the load bearing assemblies including atleast one load receiver 38 and at least one carrier support 32, 34. Thehub assembly is configured to facilitate pivotation between at least oneof the load receivers 38 if there are several and at least one carriersupport 32, 34 if there is more than one. The carrier support 32, 34comprises an elongate extension portion 48 pivotally interconnected witha vehicle engaging portion 58, the vehicle engaging portion 58 having acurved portion located adjacent to a pivot-point 56 of interconnectionbetween the elongate extension portion 48 and the vehicle engagingportion 58.

The hub assembly is configured to permit relative pivotation between theplurality of load bearing assemblies 38, 40, 48 thereby permittingtransformation between an expanded load carrying configuration (see FIG.7) and the collapsed shipping configuration of FIGS. 12A and 12B. Theload carrier 30, when in the collapsed shipping configuration, presentsan exterior depth dimension (d) approximately equal to a minimumcross-wise dimension (m) of one of the hubs 36 of the hub assembly.

As illustrated, the hub 36 is round and therefore has a uniform minimumcross-wise dimension (m); however, it is contemplated that the teachingsof the present invention apply to non-circularly shaped hubs 36 andwhich will have cross-wise dimensions (m), the smallest of which must beidentified. The load carrier 30, when in the shipping configuration, isdimensioned to fit into the shipping box 85 that has an interior depthdimension (D) approximately equal to the minimum cross-wise dimension(m) of one of the hubs 36 of the hub assembly, plus a nominal clearancedistance (C) provided between the hub(s) 36 of the hub assembly and aninterior of the shipping box 85 located adjacent to the particular hubin the shipping configuration in which the load carrier is packed in theshipping box as demonstrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B.

The load carrier 30, when in the shipping configuration, has an exteriordepth dimension (d) not more than approximately one inch greater thanthe minimum cross-wise dimension (m) of the hub assembly. Furthermore,the nominal clearance distance (C), when in the shipping configuration,is not more than approximately one inch greater than the minimumcross-wise dimension (m) of the hub assembly.

Although the invention has been described in connection with preferredembodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat additions, modifications, substitutions and deletions notspecifically described may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Bicycle carriers adapted to be mounted on the back of a vehicle havebeen disclosed and their components described herein. These and othervariations, which will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, arewithin the intended scope of this invention as claimed below. Aspreviously stated, detailed embodiments of the present invention aredisclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosedembodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodiedin various forms.

1. A load carrier for a rear end of a vehicle comprising: a loadsupporting member; a releasable pivot locking member; and a mountingmember comprising a hub connecting arm and a vehicle contacting portion,said hub connecting arm and said vehicle contacting portion pivotallycoupled to one another, said releasable pivot locking member, in anlocked state, preventing pivoting movement of said hub connecting armand said vehicle contacting portion relative to one another to disposesaid hub connecting arm and a portion of said vehicle contacting portionat an angle, and in an unlocked state, allowing pivoting movement ofsaid vehicle contacting portion with respect to said hub connecting armsuch that said vehicle contacting portion is pivotal toward said hubconnecting arm.
 2. The load carrier of claim 1 wherein said releasablepivot locking member is configured to secure about said hub connectingarm and said vehicle contacting portion.
 3. The load carrier of claim 2wherein said releasable pivot locking member is slidable along one ofsaid hub connecting arm and said vehicle contacting portion and isreceived by the other of said hub connecting arm and said vehiclecontacting portion.
 4. The load carrier of claim 3 wherein saidreleasable pivot locking member is slidable along said hub connectingarm and received by said vehicle contacting portion.
 5. The load carrierof claim 4 wherein said hub connecting arm is a component of a lowermounting member.
 6. The load carrier of claim 4 wherein said releasablepivot locking member comprises a tensioning strap, said tensioning strapurging said releasable pivot locking member in a direction toward saidlocked state when a securing tension is applied thereto.
 7. The loadcarrier of claim 2 wherein one of said hub connecting arm and saidvehicle contacting portion comprises a bent portion forming an obtuseangle between said hub connecting arm and said vehicle contactingportion, when said load carrier is in said locked state.
 8. The loadcarrier of claim 7 wherein said releasable pivot locking member isconfigured to secure about said hub connecting arm and said vehiclecontacting portion proximate said bent portion.
 9. The load carrier ofclaim 8 wherein said vehicle contacting portion comprises said bentportion.
 10. The load carrier of claim 3 wherein said releasable pivotlocking member includes a pair of apertures for sliding along the lengthand receiving one of said hub connecting arm and said vehicle contactingportion.
 11. The load carrier of claim 1 wherein said releasable pivotlocking member includes a locking assembly for locking said member inthe locked position.
 12. The load carrier of claim 11 wherein saidlocking assembly comprises a biased pin member.
 13. The load carrier ofclaim 1 wherein said vehicle contacting portion receives said releasablepivot locking member.
 14. The load carrier of claim 1 wherein said loadcarrier comprises a plurality of releasable pivot locking members. 15.The load carrier of claim 1 wherein said mounting members comprises alower mounting member.
 16. A load carrier for a vehicle comprising: apair of load supporting members; upper and lower mounting memberspivotally connected by a hub assembly, one of said upper and lowermounting members comprising a pair of hub connecting arms and a vehiclecontacting portion; and a pair of releasable pivot locking members, saidhub connecting arms and said vehicle contacting portion pivotallycoupled to one another by said pair of releasable pivot locking members,said releasable locking members in a locked state, preventing pivotingmovement of said hub connecting arms and said vehicle contacting portionto dispose said hub connecting arms and said vehicle contacting portionat an angle with respect to one another, and in an unlocked state,allowing pivoting movement of said vehicle contacting portion withrespect to said hub connecting arms such that said vehicle contactingportion may be pivoted toward said hub connecting arms.
 17. A loadcarrier configured to be carried on a vehicle in abutting engagementwith a backside of the vehicle, said load carrier comprising: a hubassembly comprising a pair of hubs, each hub configured for rigidengagement with a plurality of load bearing assemblies, said loadbearing assemblies including at least one load receiver and at least onecarrier support, said hub assembly configured to facilitate pivotationbetween said at least one load receiver and said at least one carriersupport; said at least one carrier support comprising an elongateextension portion pivotally interconnected with a vehicle engagingportion, said vehicle engaging portion having a curved portion locatedadjacent to a pivot-point of interconnection between said elongateextension portion and said vehicle engaging portion; said hub assemblyconfigured to permit relative pivotation between said plurality of loadbearing assemblies thereby permitting transformation between an expandedcarrying configuration and a collapsed and nested shipping/storageconfiguration; and said load carrier, when in said nestedshipping/storage configuration, presenting an exterior depth dimension(d) approximately equal to a minimum cross-wise dimension (m) of one ofsaid hubs of said hub assembly.
 18. The load carrier of claim 17,wherein said load carrier, when in said nested shipping/storageconfiguration has an exterior depth dimension (d) not more thanapproximately one inch greater than the minimum cross-wise dimension (m)of one of said hubs of said hub assembly.
 19. The load carrier of claim18, wherein said load carrier, when in said nested shipping/storageconfiguration, is dimensioned to fit into a shipping box having aninterior depth dimension (D) approximately equal to the minimumcross-wise dimension (m) of one of said hubs of said hub assembly plus anominal clearance distance (C) provided between said hub assembly and aninterior of the shipping box located adjacent said one of said hubs ofsaid hub assembly in a shipping configuration in which the load carrieris packed in the shipping box.
 20. The load carrier of claim 19, whereinsaid nominal clearance distance (C), when packed in said shippingconfiguration, is not more than approximately one inch greater than theminimum cross-wise dimension (m) of said one of said hubs of said hubassembly.
 21. A boxed load carrier that when in use is configured to becarried on a vehicle in abutting engagement with a backside of thevehicle, said boxed load carrier comprising: a shipping box configuredto receive a load carrier therein when said load carrier is in acollapsed shipping configuration; said load carrier comprising a hubassembly including a pair of hubs, each hub configured for rigidengagement with a plurality of load bearing assemblies, said loadbearing assemblies including at least one load receiver and at least onecarrier support, said hub assembly configured to facilitate pivotationbetween said at least one load receiver and said at least one carriersupport; said at least one carrier support comprising an elongateextension portion pivotally interconnected with a vehicle engagingportion, said vehicle engaging portion having a curved portion locatedadjacent to a pivot-point of interconnection between said elongateextension portion and said vehicle engaging portion; said hub assemblyconfigured to permit relative pivotation between said plurality of loadbearing assemblies thereby permitting transformation between an expandedload carrying configuration and the collapsed shipping configuration;said load carrier, when in said collapsed shipping configuration,presenting an exterior depth dimension (d) approximately equal to aminimum cross-wise dimension (m) of one of said hubs of said hubassembly; and said load carrier, when in said shipping configuration, isdimensioned to fit into said shipping box having an interior depthdimension (D) approximately equal to the minimum cross-wise dimension(m) of said one of said hubs of said hub assembly plus a nominalclearance distance (C) provided between said one of said hubs of saidhub assembly and an interior of said shipping box located adjacent saidone of said hubs of said hub assembly in the shipping configuration inwhich said load carrier is packed in said shipping box.
 22. The boxedload carrier of claim 21, wherein said load carrier, when in saidshipping configuration has an exterior depth dimension (d) not more thanapproximately one inch greater than the minimum cross-wise dimension (m)of said hub assembly.
 23. The boxed carrier of claim 22, wherein saidnominal clearance distance (C), when in said shipping configuration, isnot more than approximately one inch greater than the minimum cross-wisedimension (m) of said hub assembly.